Abstract: Based on industry statistics and engineering case data, this analysis focuses on the total production, inventory, and market landscape of global full-face tunnel boring machines (TBMs) by the end of 2024, including major models such as earth pressure balance (EPB) shields, slurry balance shields, TBMs, and pipe jacking machines. It specifically examines typical cases in six dimensions: diameter, gradient, burial depth, continuous tunneling distance, turning radius, and footage. The results indicate that China has now become the world’s largest market for the manufacturing and application of full-face TBMs, with a market share of approximately 70%. In various sub-dimensions: (1) maximum excavation diameter: the world’s largest diameter machine is the EPB shield applied to the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link Project in Hong Kong, China, with an excavation diameter of 17.63 m; (2) minimum excavation diameter: the world’s smallest diameter machine is the pipe jacking machine applied to the West Gate Tunnel Project in Melbourne, with an excavation diameter of 0.4 m. Among shield/TBM models, the smallest global excavation diameter is 1.22 m, achieved by an EPB shield used for the Ichimonji Sewerage Pipeline Project in Japan; (3) tunneling gradient: the world’s largest gradient machine is the TBM applied to the Pingjiang Pumped Storage Project in China, with a tunneling gradient of 50°; (4) burial depth: the world’s largest burial depth machine is the TBM applied to the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland, with a burial depth of 2 450 m; (5) continuous dead-end tunneling distance: the world’s largest continuous tunneling distance machine is the TBM applied to the Woods Smith Mine Transport Tunnel in the UK, with a continuous dead-end tunneling distance of 30.335 km; (6) turning radius: the world’s smallest turning radius machine is the EPB shield applied to the Toyonaka-Shinmen Trunk Line in Japan, with a turning radius of 10.5 m; (7) footage: the world’s highest daily footage machine is the pipe jacking machine applied to the Bangkok Natural Gas Pipeline Project in Thailand, with a daily footage of 202 m. The world’s highest monthly footage machine is the TBM applied to the Little Calumet Branch Tunnel in Chicago, USA, with a monthly footage of 2 163 m. According to the data, foreign brands generally maintain a leading position in various sub-fields at present, while China leads in the maximum tunneling gradient and highest daily footage dimensions, having shifted from “following” to “leading” position in some dimensions. In the future, more world-class super underground projects will be proposed, and the full-face TBMs will accelerate their development towards intelligence, green technology, and adaptability to extreme working conditions.

Key words: full-face tunnel boring machine, data statistics, earth pressure balance shield, slurry shield, tunnel boring machine, pipe jacking machine, excavation diameter, turning radius